Florida's unemployment falls to 7.8 percent

Broward County's unemployment rate in January ticked up slightly, from 6.6 to 6.7 percent, but the county ranked fourth among the state's 22 metro areas in adding jobs.

The county added 14,600 new jobs in retail, leisure and hospitality, and construction, according to data released Monday. Broward's jobless rate a year ago in January was 8.1 percent.

In Palm Beach County, the January unemployment rate also rose slightly to 8 percent from 7.9 percent in December. Still, it was better than the county's rate of 9.3 percent in January 2012.

Statewide, however, Florida's unemployment fell to 7.8 percent, the lowest since November 2008, the state said Monday. A year ago, the jobless rate was 9.3 percent.

"Everything we do is geared toward job creation — today we have more proof that it's working," Gov. Rick Scott, who ran on a promise to create jobs, said in a statement.

Sean Snaith, economist with the University of Central Florida, said the state's report shows that job growth was stronger than originally thought.

"This is an employment report he can hang on his refrigerator," Snaith said of the governor.

Florida's rate also was below the national rate of 7.9 percent posted in January, for the first time in five years. "There is a certain psychological boost here. We had fallen so far behind the country as a whole," Snaith said.

Florida was up 127,500 jobs, or 1.7 percent, in January, adding jobs for the 30th consecutive month after losing jobs for three years, according to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. The state added the most jobs, 35,500 jobs or a gain of 2.3 percent, in trade, transportation and utilities.

Florida ranked third among 32 states that added jobs from January 2012-2013, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The state followed Texas, which added nearly 311,000 jobs, and California, which gained about 255,000.

There were 740,000 jobless Floridians in January, out of a labor force of 9.4 million.

Mekael Teshome, economist for PNC bank in Florida, said the "fiscal cliff" and fears of looming government budget cuts under "sequestration" so far have not unraveled the economic recovery in Florida.

"The big fear is that it would knock some steam out of the recovery, but so far it has been holding up better than we expected," he said.

Unemployment rates are usually released the following month but January's rate is delayed annually for statistical reviews. February's rate is scheduled to be released on March 29.